IFM’s 2015 Annual International Conference (AIC) will explore the wild and wonderful world of “omics,” including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and other terms that describe the cascade of responses in human biology initiated by signals from the outside world washing over our genes.

It’s not nature or nurture but nature (genetic heritage) and nurture (lifestyle and environment).

I’m excited to be attending for the first time and can’t wait. I know this conference does fill up each year so if you’re interested don’t wait to sign up.

Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, functional medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.

The topics we cover on this summit and the approaches the Anxiety Summit speakers take all fall under the definition of functional medicine.

The authors assessed the psychological, neuropsychological, and electrocortical effects of human exposure to mixed colonies of toxigenic molds

Patients reported high levels of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms.

Most of the patients were found to suffer from acute stress, adjustment disorder, or post-traumatic stress

These findings indicated a hypoactivation of the frontal cortex, possibly due to brainstem involvement and insufficient excitatory input from the reticular activating system. Neuropsychological testing revealed impairments similar to mild traumatic brain injury.